Casey breaks down the NBA Playoffs

Take a quick gander to your left and look at that mug shot photo of yours truly.

Fairly good looking guy, eh?

Neatly groomed ‘do, little-to-no facial hair and heck, I’m even reasonably well dressed – something that is somewhat of a rarity for a lazy lad like myself.

Take a nice, long stare at that image and place it firmly into your memory bed.

Because that’s the last time you’ll see me looking like that.

The NBA Playoffs are officially under way. This dude is about to go into straight caveman mode.

That means no more showers, little-to-no grooming, eating lots of potato chips and watching basketball in my boxer shorts – all night long!

I plan on coming out of this thing looking like a grizzly bear – one that has gained 15-20 pounds of solid Dorito and mesquite barbecue.

OK, I’m kidding about the weight gain and the lack of hygiene and maybe even the boxer shorts.

But seriously, it’s all caveman for me the next two months as I partake in my favorite sporting season of the year.

The NBA playoffs are like no other time to be a sports fan.

In football, you get to see the top-tier teams play once.

Heck, in March Madness, it’s the same thing and one game decides everything for every team.

But in basketball, we get to see series, which means LeBron James can play Derrick Rose seven times in a two-week stretch.

It also means we could see Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant dual it out in a young gun, old gun showdown.

Chalk me up as one who either of those two would be as delicious to the world of sports as a coconut snowball is to a child that’s been playing outside on a scorching August day.

This year’s playoffs are even more special than in year’s past, because they truly appear to be wide open.

In most years, we can pinpoint three, four or maybe even five teams who could walk away champions.

But this go-round, I can anywhere between 8-10 teams who could potentially hoist that famous golden trophy.

So let’s dig right in and break down the contenders and pretenders in this year’s 16-team field.

Usually, my predictions are as worthless as dirt, but I do have a good track record of NBA success.

Just ask my former colleague Richard Fischer how his hairline is doing.

He put his hair on the line against me two years ago and ended up bald.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The Dreamers (Teams sure to meet first-round doom)

16. Orlando Magic – Without Dwight Howard, the Magic aren’t just the worst team in the playoffs, they are one of the worst teams in the entire NBA. They will be easily bounced from the first round and Stan Van Gundy will promptly be fired. Another victory for a selfish star athlete. Woohoo!

15. Philadelphia 76ers – I’m not a basketball expert by any means. But I do own a victory in HORSE over McDonald’s All-American and LSU standout Theresa Plaisance. That qualifies me enough to say that no team with Lou Williams as its leading scorer can be a postseason threat.

14. Denver Nuggets – Savvy smart aleck’s like me love to point out that the Nuggets are better without Carmelo Anthony. Excuse me? I seem to remember ‘Melo leading the Nuggets to the Conference Finals. Sure, Denver has a nice core of young players. But they lack the star power to beat anyone significant.

The Borderline Contenders (Teams that could make noise with the right matchups)

13. Utah Jazz – People call me crazy for this one, but I just like the Jazz’s makeup in a postseason series. They have two steady big men, quick guards and an array of outside shooters. Combine all of those things with one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and this team is no first-round bye.

12. Dallas Mavericks – It took everything in my power to not label this team as a dreamer. They truly have nothing in the tank physically to make a true run. But they do have experience and they are the defending champions. For those reasons, I will give them a little bit of love.

11. Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks have a nice team and they’ve annually become a postseason squad. Kudos to them, because I remember a time in my childhood when they were really, really bad. But the problem is that nice teams don’t win championships and Atlanta will again reach their ceiling of a couple playoff wins before bowing out to the true elite.

The Sleepers (Teams that could surprise and win it all)

10. New York Knicks – The Knicks have all of the talent in the world. The problem is that their parts don’t always mesh well together. But if they ever did get hot for a four-week stretch, this team could beat anyone. Heck, they already have beaten everyone, owning wins against many of the top teams in the NBA this season.

9. Indiana Pacers – The Pacers are the 3-seed in the East, but no one knows who they are. I have a very good feeling the NBA world will be shocked by what they see. The Pacers have both inside and outside scoring and are no fluke. They also go seven-to-eight deep with legitimate players like Leandro Barbosa, Tyler Hansbrough and George Hill coming off their bench. Not many teams can boast that type of depth.

8. Memphis Grizzlies – I fell in love with the Grizzlies last postseason when they absolutely dominated the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round of the playoffs. This year, their roster is virtually the same, except they have a healthy Rudy Gay. They are in no way, shape, or form the favorites. But they are undoubtedly the lower-seeded team everyone in the West wants to avoid.

The Real Contenders (Teams that should be expected to make a run)

7. The Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers are probably one year away from being considered a favorite. But they do have Chris Paul – probably the best postseason player in the NBA right now. Paul just straight carries his team when the playoffs roll around. Heck, just look at some of the near-misses he’s had in his career with a largely untalented Hornets roster. Now with Blake Griffin and co., I expect Lob City to be a player in deciding this year’s champion.

6. Boston Celtics – For the first few months of the season, the Celtics looked dead in the water. But since the trade deadline, they have been revitalized and are looking fresh as a daisy. Whether it’s talent or angst because Ray Allen was nearly traded (or maybe a bit of both), Boston appears hungry and could beat anyone in the East. They matchup well with Miami and without a 100 percent Derrick Rose, the Bulls also could be in trouble.

5. Los Angeles Lakers – If you watch ESPN often, you probably think the Lakers are this washed up mess. For whatever reason, the so-called worldwide leader in sports enjoys painting the fading dynasty in that light. They really aren’t too far off the path of excellence, though. Sure, these guys have their off nights. Who doesn’t in this crazy and condensed NBA season? But they also own wins against the Heat, Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Mavericks, Celtics, Grizzlies and Knicks this year. No one else has that type of pedigree.

4. San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs are not the aging dinosaur they were last year when they were bounced from the first round of the playoffs. Thanks to a mix of health, rest and immense depth, the Spurs are an offensive juggernaut that can routinely score 110-plus on any given night. How they handle teams with elite size will be an issue. But several Western Conference powers don’t have enough of that to exploit the weakness.

3. Miami Heat – OK, so now this thing gets fun. No, I’m not picking the Heat to go to the NBA Finals. I’m picking them to lose to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. I’ve seen the two teams play a few times this year and the Bulls have held their own without Derrick Rose even being a factor in any of the games. I don’t trust the Heat’s depth, nor LeBron James’ late-game playmaking ability. I’ll take the Bulls in seven because of the home court advantage.

The Runner-Up

2. Chicago Bulls – The Bulls are one piece away from being a dynasty. What that one piece is, I’m not fully sure, but they just don’t have the look of a complete roster. But they do play the best defense I’ve seen in years in today’s offensive-minded NBA. They also have the most determined young star and also the best coach (in my opinion). I think the Bulls will be in the Finals for many years to come, because they have financial flexibility to be better, where Miami does not.

The Champion

1.Oklahoma City Thunder – It’s just Kevin Durant’s year. The Thunder have too much scoring, combined with too much inside defense to be beaten. If Russell Westbrook behaves himself and acts as a second scorer, the Thunder can’t be beat. They have the best home court advantage in the NBA and they are also a solid road team, boasting a 21-12 road record. I believe the Thunder were the best team in the NBA last season, but just couldn’t close out the Mavs in late-game situations. With last year’s lessons under their belts, it’s time for the Durantula to get him a ring.

Boston Celtics’ Rajon Rondo, right, works against Atlanta Hawks’ Jeff Teague during the fourth quarter of Game 1 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series Sunday, April 29, 2012, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 83-74. 

AP PHOTO | DAVID GOLDMAN